Sign



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,268

. R. A. THOMPSON SIGN Filed Sept. 22. 1926 Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAY A. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLI OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

NOIS, ASSIG-ITOR TO ALUMOYD SIGN & SIGNAL CO,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SIGN.

Application filed September 22, 1926. Serial No. 137,017.

My invention relates to signs and is more particularly r adapted to be way 1111101110118 elated to an improved sign employed at street and highand intersections.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved means for portions to eac connecting the sign h other and to the supporting material may be obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for reenforcin the sign plates.

More particularly lnvention to connect the pro ect1ng letters of the sign to it is an object of this the rim of the sign plate in the material in the letters as a means for reinforcing the sign plate.

I will now invention may com an in drawin s.

describe one form which my take by referring to the ac- However, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I donot intend to limit myself to the exact detaib shown and described, but that I intend to take advantage of all such modifications as would occur to one skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved sign construction;

Fig. 2 1s a along the l ne View partly in section taken 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of mounting for the sign.

Referring now n detail to the drawings,

the numeral 5 duced top por is fitted. This indicates a post having a retion 6 upon which the cap 7 cap has an internal key member 8 for engagement of a portion of the has a polygonal opening through. The

screw 9 to prevent turning the post. The upper portion 7 is reduced in diameter and 11 extending theresign plate 12 has a dependent mounting portion 13 substantially centrally of one edge thereof. tion 13 is provided adapted to engage opening 11 an screw or other This mounting porwith a series of faces the inner faces of the d be secured therein by a set suitable securing means. The

plate 12 is provided with a peripheral flange 14 extending strengthen an therearound. In order to d brace the plate 12 adjacent the portion 13, transversely, extending flanges 15 and 16 are provided. These fiangesextend substantially to the outer edge of the portion of the cap member and serve as a reinforcement for preventing the destruction of the sign by an impact in a direction transversely thereof. Immediately above the portions and 16 the plate 12 is thickened through a substantial distance on opposite sides thereof .to give added strength along the center portion of the sign.

y The sign plate 12 has a thin central portion 18' from which the characters 20 project to form the legend thereon. These characters 20 in signs heretofore known have been spaced from the upper and lower edgesof the sign plate or in some instances, instead of projecting from the plate. they have been cut out of'the plate material. In both of these forms difiiculty has been experienced in getting suiiicient strength at the center portion of the plate. ness quite often results in the sign plate being broken at one side or other of the sup port which, of course, destroys the entire sign legend. To overcome this weakness without adding materially to the amount of material in the sign plate, I have provided the integral ribs 19 which are of substan tially the same thickness as the raised characters and which connect the upper and lower edges thereof with the upper and lower edges ofthesign plate, thus utilizing the material of the characters as a reinforcing and bracing portion for the sign plate.

In order to provide means for securing a second plate at an angle to the first name plate, I form on the upper edge of the plate 12 a supporting member 22 which is substantially of the same the cap member 7 and which has a polygonai opening therein. This opening is engaged by a polygonally projecting member 23 cured to the bottom edge of the plate 24: and fitting tightly in the socket of the member 22. The plate 24 is also provided with transversely projecting flanges 25 and 26 which are similar to the flanges 15 and 16 provided on the plate 12 and serve the same purpose of reinforcing the connection in a transverse direction. The plate 24 also has thickened portion at 27 corresponding to the thickened portion 17 of the plate 12 and the raised This weakcharacters 29 are connected with this thickened portion by the ribs 28 in substantially the same manner as the characters 20 are connected to the portion 17. A direction indicating ornament 20 may be provided on the top plate 24.

Referring now to Fig. 3, I show a bracket 31 which may be secured to a wall 32 and which has a supporting portion 33 extending upwardly therefrom adapted lLO.l'(:CGlV the projecting portion of the plate 12 in substantially the same manner as the cap 7 receives the portion 13. This modification may be used in places where it is advisable to secure the sign to the corner of the wall or building.

From the above description, it is thought the advantages obtained by the particular manner of the reinforcement of the sign plates by utilizing material in the projecting characters will be clearly apparent. Signs of this character are now being made of aluminum alloys in order to provide a weather resisting material as well as to reduce the weight of the plates. It is a well known fact that these aluminum alloys have a comparatively low tensile strength and therefore, are easily broken by being struck 01' by having playful youngsters hanging on the end of the sign and the point of breaking is usually very close to the center or supporting portion of the sign. By providing the ribs 17, 19 and 21 which connect the sign characters with the late ally extending flanges of the sign plate, I am enabled to obtain a maximum reinforcement of the plates at their point of greatest strain with only the addition of a very small amount of material necessary to form the ribs 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A sign plate having a reinforcing flange and a mounting portion substantially centrally of one side edge thereof, raised sign characters projecting from opposite sides'of said plate cast integral therewith and projecting ribs of substantially the same thickreaaaee ness as said characters connecting, certain of said characters with said flange adjacent said mounting portion.

2. A sign plate having a reinforcing flange and a mounting portion on one side edge thereof, raised sign characters projecting from one side of said plate cast integral therewith, and projecting ribs rigidly and permanently connecting certain of said characters with said flange adjacent said mounting portion.

sign structure comprising a sign plate having reinforcing ribs on opposite side edges thereof, mounting means on one side edge connected with the rib thereon, a supporting means for supporting a similar sign plate on the other side edge and connected with the rib thereon, raised sign characters projecting from opposite sides of said plate cast integral therewith and ribs rigidly and permanently connecting the up per and lower edges of said characters with said reinforcing ribs whereby the material in said characters and ribs braces said plate.

4. A sign structure comprising a sign plate having reinforcing ribs on opposite side edges thereof, mounting means on one side edge connected with the rib thereon, a supporting means for supporting a similar sign plate on the other side edge and connected with the rib thereon, raised sign characters projecting from said plate and ribs integrally connecting the upper and lower edges thereof with said reinforcing ribs, a second sign plate having mounting means engaging said supporting means, a reinforcing rib along the lower edge thereof and connected with said mounting means and sign characters projecting from said second plate having ribs of substantially the same thickness at said sign characters extending to and connected with the reinforcing rib thereon.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of September A. D., 1926.

RAY A. THOMPSON. 

